Installing Vista on two hard drives on the same laptop

Like the title states, I would like to know if it is possible and how would I go about doing it? I have huge drives on my laptop and would like to use one for games and the other for my general use. I figure it would have something to do with the bios asking which hard drive I would like to start up, everytime I start the computer. Giving me the choice to either start the gaming drive or the general use drive. Please, I would appreciate some advice. Thanks.

 

Absolutely it's possible and quite easy. You insert the disc and select drive options from the main installation screen. You then select what drive to install Vista on. After the installation of the second copy of Vista you will be greeted with a boot screen whereby you get to choose which drive to boot from.

You might want to snag a copy of EasyBCD as it's not as easy to modify the startup sequence text file in Vista as it was in XP. So you'll have to put up with seeing Windows Vista, twice on the dual boot screen. But remember the top entry on the screen is the last OS you installed.

 

Thanks Rodknee. I assume EasyBCD lets you choose which drive I want to start up first, right? Or?

 

Yes it does and it allows you to rename whatever you want to call each OS. It's a feature that was in Windows XP where you could edit the Boot text file. Vista has done away with that so if you want to rename your first installation "Windows Vista PC Games:" you'll need to use EasyBCD 1.72.

 

Keep in mind that you aren't allowed to have two separate installations of Vista using the same key (unless you have a license that allows more than one installation). Make sure you aren't violating the EULA.

 

Thanks for the clarification. Well, I do mot have another license. How do I require one? Is it expensive? Otherwise I'll have to install XP instead.

 

Ok, I just tried to install XP on the other drive but for some reason nothing registers. OK, this is what happened:

1. Install Vista on the first drive..C drive

2. When vista has install itself on the C: drive, I put in the XP Disc in and started the laptop.

3. I wait for the disc to do it's thin by going through all the checks and balances.

4. After doing it's checks and balances it comes to the menu where I'm suppose to decide which hard drive I want to install XP. Now the weird thing it seems it cannot read the second drive. It says something that the drives are unrecognizable or something tothat nature. Nor can it read the C: Drive either... Strange. So what happened here or what have I done wrong?

I read some where that this is a problem if one intends on installing XP on an already Vista system...How to fix this issue to be able to install XP on the second drive?

 

Install xp first, then vista.

 

****! I was afraid of that. Thanks for your prompt response. I just installed Vista now I have to remove it. Oh well. I hope it works this time around. It's beginning to get tedious process... Thanks again. I will try now.. so I'll b eoff line for a long while. Wish me luck.

 

The reason it is like that is because XP cant make sense of the vista mbr so it over writes it. Vista knows how to handle xp's mbr so it can properly put it in the boot loader. Just make sure not to change your default hard drives in the bios after installing xp otherwise your boot loader wont work properly.

 

That's true, but if you install EasyBCD 1.72 onto Vista if that's your first install you can setup and modify the MBR for a future XP install afterward. The thing the will happen is the XP install process will stall whereby you'll have to repair the MBR with the Vista install disc. When prompted to reboot reinsert the Windows XP disc and the XP install continues to completion as if nothing happened.

I've installed XP alongside Vista on several computers with no problems

 

Rodknee, good thing I read your reply before removing Vista. I have already installed EasyBCD now, so all I have to do is gon into it and modify MBR? Now I'd like to know what MBR stands for? Also, could you please tell me the procedure to take in order to make the setup successful? I am looking at the program menu but am confuse on what to do next.

 

The MBR is the boot record. If it's damaged you won't be able to boot the OS.

Here's the step by step procedure on how to successfully create a dual boot environment.

http://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot_...led_first__the_stepbystep_guide.htm#restoring

Here's the EasyBCD troubleshooting guide in case you encounter problems.

http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/Troubleshooting+Windows+XP

 

I am very appreciative but I do not want to dual boot on the same drive. I have another drive in the same laptop that I want to put XP on. Two seperate drives.

 

Skip the procedure on shrinking the Vista partition. Just install XP on the second drive and follow the procedure. It's basically the same setup routine sans the shrinking of the Vista partition and creating another partition on the same drive.

Your setup is actually 90% easier and more straightforward.

 

Make sure your HDD is not in enhanced SATA mode, XP does not have the drivers on the original disc...you have to slipstream them in.

 

Actually they do if it's a SP2 disc. My Dell XP SP2 disc has them already installed. Makes life a lot easier.

 

Well the XP Professional disc is SP 1a. How does one see if the hard drive is in SATA mode?

 

Look in your BIOS. There are two modes.

1) SATA

2) Compatibility Mode = Ultra ATA/IDE

 

So if the second drive is in enchance mode I should disable it? Can I switch it back after installing XP on the second drive? All this long process just to install xp on another drive...Geezzz!! I'm beginnign to get put off already...